In fuel combusting engines, particularly those of the internal combustion type using a liquid fuel such as gasoline or diesel oil, it is known that filtering of the circulating lubricating oil does not remove liquid contaminants from the oil. These liquid contaminants substantially comprise relatively low boiling condensates, especially water, whose presence in the oil causes engine corrosion and wear.
Lubricating oil reconditioning systems that remove such liquid contaminants from circulating engine lubricating oil have previously been proposed for use in association with operating fuel combusting engines. Such prior art systems suffer from various disadvantages so that typically they are not energy-efficient, and not highly effective.
For example, in the prior art, a filter assembly is commonly located below a vaporization chamber in an oil heating device, thereby relying on pressure for the oil to enter the chamber. Thus, prior art devices inject oil under pressure into the chamber making it difficult if not impossible to achieve a sustained thin film for impurity vaporization purposes. Additionally, variations in oil pressure due to changes in engine rpm vary the amounts of oil that are input into the chamber further reducing the effectiveness of the device.
Menyhert U.S. Pat. No. 5,198,104, for example, discloses a device for removing volatile components from oil in which the oil is filtered before being subjected to a volatilization procedure using a heated plate with multiple protrusions. However, in such a device, the filter is positioned below the volatilization chamber so that oil accumulates in the filter and is wasted during a filter change.
In Menyhert, a cartridge-type heater is used which characteristically does not distribute heat evenly to the vaporizing surfaces. Also, such a heater must be partially exposed to the outside elements, thereby increasing the likelihood of heater failure due to shorts and corrosion.
Also, although Menyhert alleges that his "walls" maintain a thin film in conjunction with a swivel mount, since oil is fed under pressure into his chamber, it will spray and so the swivel mount is not effective for heavy duty use which requires strong stationary mounts. Also, his swivel mount places undue stresses on the inlet and outlet hoses and fittings. The only vaporizing surface in Menyhert is the centermost wall. The oil pools (collects) in the valleys of the concentric wall members and does not travel in a thin film. Since the oil enters under pressure, the oil, under increased pressure, sprays into the chamber and misses the first vaporizing wall surface. Menyhert cannot maintain a uniform thin oil layer during the volatilization procedure.
In addition, for Menyhert to achieve a correct seal between his oil inlet and filter, the filter and the evaporator plate, and the cap and the outer canister, great effort must be extended to adjust and readjust the tension on the clamps and adjustable threaded center post. This leads to the generally unacceptable result of oil leaking through the seals and not being processed completely.
For another example, in Engel U.S. Pat. No. 4,289,583, a heater post must contact the evaporator plate and transmit heat to the wall surfaces. This is a highly inefficient arrangement. Also, Engel '583 has the same spray introduction and uniform oil volatilization problems as Menyhert and other prior art heated plate pressure fed systems. The techniques taught for connecting and sealing the cap to the outer canister with bolts causes the bolt ears and castings to break under undue stress, thus causing major leaks.
So far as is now known, no one has previously developed a lubricating oil reconditioning system wherein the oil is first filtered and then passed as a thin film over a heated, generally dome-configured platen using gravity as a primary means for controlling oil flow over the platen.